Protective shield for kitchen sinks and the like



L. A. MARSH Sept. 27, 1938.

PROTECTIVE SHIELD FOR'KITCHEN SINK AND'THE LIKE Filed April 24, 1937 INVENTOR,

LauraA.Mar-Jh/.

Patented Sept. 27, 1938 UNi'iED STATES PROTECTIVE SHIELD FOR KITCHEN SINKS AND THE LIKE Laura A. Marsh, Portland, Maine Application April 24, 1937, Serial No. 138,760

1 Claim.

My invention relates to devices adapted to protect a persons clothes when he or she is engaged in kitchen tasks, as washing dishes, preparing food, or performing any other duties while standing before the kitchen sink.

The splashing of water as it falls into the sink from an open faucet, or spatters over ones clothing from the dish-pan or clothes tub while working at the sink are not pleasant experiences, and with the object in view of eliminating this disagreeable feature of kitchen work I have evolved the present invention.

In its preferred embodiment my invention contemplates a yieldable shield, constructed of rubber or some water-proofed fabric. In certain instances I may elect to incorporate in this shield a concealed metal skeleton frame structure tending to give it stability without impairment of its elastic or yieldable characteristics.

In all cases the front side of the shield will be smooth or devoid of obstructions which would tend to wear the persons clothing when contacting with it. And to insure against displacement from the side of the sink I have provided means which frictionally holds the device in place.

For a better understanding of the import of my invention reference should be had to the description found in the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters are employed to identify like parts in all of the different views, and in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sink shieldmade entirely of rubber;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the shield, the section being taken on line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows the application of the device, the shield being shown on a slate sink, and

Fig. 4.- shows the shield mounted on a metal sink.

Referring to the drawing and particularly to Fig. l, l is a sink shield made entirely of flexible rubber. The front side Ia, or that nearest the person using the device, is flat and smooth and has an upper end ibrounded. The side la constitutes the apron of the shield.

The lower portion of the shield structure is bifurcated, the front side la extending downwardly to form the outer branch, and the offset portion 10 forming the inside branch. The two branches of the bifurcation are mutually spaced to permit of their straddling the front wall W, of the sink S, with a strong, yieldable embrace.

To stiffen the apron a of the shield I provide ribs Id made integral with the apron and extending vertically on the inside face of the shield for substantially its full height. The ribs are substantial enough in cross-sectional area to normally maintain the apron in an upstanding position, but not of such stability and stiffness as would make the apron unyielding to the contact of the arms or body of the worker.

In order to procure a stronger grip on the wall of the sink by the bifurcated portions ia and to of the shield I provide one or more vacuum cups 2, making them an integral part of the portion lc, After the shield has been mounted on the sink and the vacuum or suction cups manually depressed, upon release of the applied pressure sufficient vacuum is created to hold the bottom portion of the shield quite firmly secured in place on the sink.

The use of my sink shield makes, for economy in that the most delicate clothing is protected against the splashing of water or spattering of material thereonto while the person is engaged in mixing food for coolL'ng, the operation being conductedin proper dishes or mixing utensils in the sink.

But to be effective, the shield must stand at such an elevation as will reach, say, to the bosom of the average height person. At such a height,

however, the shield must be flexible and susceptible of yielding to contact of the persons arms or body, else great inconvenience is experienced in being required to reach over what to all intents and purposes amounts to a rigid, inflexible fence, greatly impeding the freedom of action of the person in performing her task.

The flexibility of the shield permits the person working to greater advantage as she bends over the sink, than would be the case were it fabricated of some semi-rigid or inflexible material. And to procure this advantage, and at the same time construct the device of sufficient height to protect a greater part of the front portion of the worker's clothes, requires that it be made of rubber or rubberized fabric, such as my improved shield is intended to be made.

It is adapted to be applied to various forms and styles of sinks by slight modification in the outer branch of the bifurcated portion of the shield, as illustrated at lh, in Fig. 4, this form being used when mounted on an iron sink Sa, with front wall as shown at Wu.

The shield is easily and quickly attached to or ing by its use will, I believe, commend it to those whose duties involve working over a sink;

What I claim is:

, detached from a sink, and the advantages accruthe inner face of the wall of the sink, and the other branch of said portion adapted to engage the opposite or outer face of the said wall, the two branches straddling the wall and together maintaining a yieldable embrace thereof, and a plurality of rubber suction cups on the inwardly disposed branch of said bifurcated portion adapted to assist in securing said apron, by suctional means, to the wall of the sink.

LAURA A. MARSH. 

